Conventionally, there have been already in practical use devices with a combination of a scanning electron microscope and an optical microscope. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. S53-161215 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. S55-90046) discloses a device with a combination of a transmission electron microscope and an optical microscope.
FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate conventional compound microscope devices. In the device of FIG. 8A, a light microscope is disposed adjacent to an electron microscope main body, and a specimen is horizontally moved between electron optical axes of the light microscope and the electron microscope, whereby the specimen can be observed with switching between the light microscope and the electron microscope.
In addition, there is known a device in which two microscopes are integrated as shown in FIG. 8B. In this device, a specimen is rotated at 90° to observe light microscopic images of the specimen (J. Struct. Biol. 164 (2008) 183 to 189).